There exists an ever growing need in the aviation industry to increase aircraft efficiencies and reduce the amount of fossil fuels consumed. Winglets have been designed and installed on many aircraft including large multi-passenger aircraft to increase efficiency, performance, and aesthetics. Such winglets usually consist of a horizontal body portion that may attach to the end of a wing and an angled portion that may extend vertically upward from the horizontal body portion. For example, a winglet may be attached to a pre-existing wing of an aircraft to increase flight efficiency, aircraft performance, or even to improve the aesthetics of the aircraft.
However, winglets must be designed for certain flight conditions that may represent extreme situations and/or edges of a design flight envelope. For example, an aircraft may encounter a gust from the side of the aircraft or engage in a maneuver, such as a side slip maneuver. These conditions may cause a transverse load to be applied to the winglet and the load may be transferred from the winglet to the wing. These additional loads are often accounted for and may require additional structure to safely handle the loads. This additional structure may add to the overall weight of the aircraft and detracts from any efficiencies gained by addition of the winglet in the first place. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved aircraft winglets and wingtip devices.